In the wake of recent news about declining retail sales nationally and brick-and-mortar store closings in New York, a new survey finds that there is strong demand for the opposite in Long Island City, Queens.
For the first time ever, the Long Island City Partnership surveyed area workers and residents about their retail wants. Restaurants, pharmacies and grocery store were the top three requests, garnering 54 percent of responses from more than 1,300 people surveyed.
Despite the 133 dining establishments currently in the area — including five that just opened — there is a big appetite for more. The survey found that more than a third of respondents eat out one to two times a week.
As the western Queens neighborhood continues to grow, so too is demand for retailers that provide key services to fill in the hundreds of thousands of retail square feet coming online.
“Long Island City’s location, mixed-use character, cultural vibrancy and interdependence among the diverse businesses and residents are this neighborhood’s greatest assets, which creates a perfect recipe for diverse retail,” said Elizabeth Lusskin, president of the Long Island City Partnership. “We can help retailers and real-estate decision makers explore opportunities in the area.”
Over the next year, nearly 10,000 units of housing will open across the area, which will nearly double the area’s existing inventory. This will bring the total number of residential units built in LIC since 2006 to more than 20,000.
